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ith great
pleasure,
I’d like to
welcome our new
readers north of
Loop 1604 to LOCAL
Community News.

This month the LOCAL edition
serving the greater Stone Oak
and Encino Park communities
debuts. The launch of our newest
paper marks another milestone
for our 2-year-old company.
During that short time, a
vision to offer hyperlocal news
content to readers in targeted
zones through direct mail has
grown from two initial newspapers
to six, boasting a press run of
more than 200,000 copies.
LOCAL is not like any other
publication. The readers holding the
new Stone Oak edition are going to
learn what fellow residents across the
greater San Antonio area already know
— LOCAL delivers in-depth coverage
of neighborhood news, ranging from
new restaurants and businesses to
school activities and government.
We hope readers living in ZIP
codes 78258, 78259, 78260 and 78261
will find LOCAL as informative and
enjoyable as established audiences
from Shavano Park to Cibolo.
In addition to great stories,
other features offered each month
include insightful commentary
from veteran journalist Susan
Yerkes, the Happening LOCAL
calendar, synopsis of major stories
and business items in LOCAL
Lowdown, and stories about new
dining spots and services under
the EAT and BUY sections.
We look forward to hearing
your suggestions and comments. As
always, I invite our readers to contact
us at tips@salocallowdown.com.

THOMAS EDWARDS
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
FACEBOOK.COM/SALOCALCOMMUNITYNEWS

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4

JUNE 2014

LOCAL COMMENTARY

Shrinking Blue Hole
reflects water woes
by SUSAN YERKES

I

t’s going to
be a long, hot
summer, and
here in droughtstricken South
Texas, that has
once again brought
water issues

to the forefront.
My musings about water got jumpstarted recently when my friend Rhon Bayes
made a short film about the Blue Hole —
the headwaters of the San Antonio River.
I first visited the spot on what was
then Incarnate Word College in the
mid-1980s with the late Amy Freeman
Lee, president of the college board at the
time. She recalled swimming and boating
in the clear blue waters flowing from
the artesian spring, but during our trip,
the deep stone well was far from full.

The most recent visit with Bayes’
film crew was a sad surprise. The stone
well was dry as a bone, the parched
bottom in disrepair. Where green space
once surrounded the area, now parking
lots, a retirement center and nursing
home loom over the dry creek bed
and the Blue Hole itself. Traffic noise
from Broadway drowns out nature.
Yet something sacred still remains —
and some people have begun to reclaim,
in some measure, the gift of water.
Back in 2008, the Sisters of Charity
of the Incarnate Word took a big step to
preserve the last remaining undeveloped
property they owned – 53 acres, including
the Blue Hole, in the Olmos Creek
Basin. They created the Headwaters at
Incarnate Word, a nonprofit to protect
and preserve the legacy of the springs.
Long-time conservationist Helen
Ballew, Headwaters’ executive director, is
leading the restoration effort. Volunteers
are cleaning trails, removing invasive brush,
replanting native vegetation and creating
footpaths. Students on field trips learn about
the once-flowing streams that sustained
humans here more than 10,000 years ago.
The group is even in discussions with the
National Park Service about expanding
the Missions National Historical Park

SPRING 2014 COLLECTION

NEW ARRIVALS

to include the Headwaters Sanctuary.
“You look at it (springs) now and it’s
sad,” Ballew said. “In a way, it symbolizes
the disconnect between humans and the
natural world we depend on for survival;
the way we draw water from the Edwards
Aquifer like it’s going to last forever.”
Civic leader George Brackenridge gave
the Sisters of Charity more than 500 acres
in the area. In the late 1800s he built a home
(now the restored Brackenridge Villa),
near the Blue Hole. Brackenridge owned
the municipal water supply company,
and his engineers suggested drilling wells
to tap the aquifer’s clean, fresh water.
“In 1891, when (Brackenridge) drilled
the first big Edwards well, the springs
went dry. He knew what was causing it.
But he made the choice to supply clean
water to a city where people were dying
of dysentery for lack of it. To me, that is
a symbol of the trade-offs we make,” said
Gregg Eckhardt, an environmental scientist
with the San Antonio Water System.
Eckhardt cited the sad state of Medina
Lake as a metaphor for the most pressing
water issues South Texas faces today.
“It’s not just the drought. The whole Hill
Country is being gentrified; big ranches
cut into smaller parcels, and everyone
drilling their own well, putting in dam

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structures to hold water, “ he said.
The Trinity Aquifer, which
adjoins the Edwards, is being pumped
faster than it can recharge.
“Everybody loves the Hill Country, and
we’re loving it to death,” said Annalisa Peace,
director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer
Alliance, a coalition concerned with water
issues. “Comal, Bandera, Kendall, Bexar,
Williamson, Travis and Medina counties
have among the fastest-growing populations
in the country now, and the practices we
have of development are just unsustainable.”
San Antonio itself is in good shape.
With conservation and recycling, SAWS
is pumping the same amount of water
from the Edwards that it did 30 years ago,
when the city’s population was smaller.
And as Eckhardt noted, the springs
supplying the Blue Hole will almost surely
flow again – when we get enough rain.
But with a forecast of progressively hotter
and drier years, it’s critical to remember
how important the ecosystem of land and
aquifers all around us is to our daily lives.
Isn’t it time to restore the sanctity
of the Blue Hole, the legendary source
of the water sustaining this city for
centuries? What do you think?
Email comments to syerkes@
salocallowdown.com.

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OUR TURN
Views and opinions about your community

Educate, don't
teach the test

T

exas lawmakers must
continue efforts to reduce
a reliance on one-size-fits-all
standardized tests in public schools.

Not only are all the exams unnecessary,
they also create a culture where
educators are teaching the test instead
of giving students a broad education.
Schools should continue to promote
vocational training to better serve those
students who don’t want to go to college.
Our leaders must ignore the siren’s
lure of the so-called testing lobby, which
is guided by profit motives and not
the educational needs of students.
Parents and educators should have a
say-so in how high-stakes tests such as the
State of Texas Assessment of Academic
Readiness are handled, putting the issue
back in the hands of the community.
To bring out the best in our youth,
the education process needs to stay with
local school boards and parents.
These standardized tests, when used,
should not be the basis for deciding whether
a child moves on to the next grade. Instead,

LOCAL LETTERS
MONEY FOR STREETCARS BETTER
SPENT ON JOBS, EDUCATION
EDITOR: My husband and I are

in total agreement with the antistreetcar editorial published in the
April LOCAL Community News.
We think the streetcar initiative is a
bad idea that doesn't benefit the people
of San Antonio. As taxpayers, we would
rather see that kind of investment put
to better use, such as education or
technical training programs to improve
the caliber of talent or the workforce
in San Antonio. That in turn would
attract more companies to the city and,
consequently, fuel our city's economy.
As residents of the city, we want
to make sure politicos aren't pushing
their own agenda, but are doing what is
best for San Antonio and its people.
Ayon Wen-Waldron

PRE-K PROGRAMS CREATE
BETTER STUDENTS
EDITOR: In response to Susan

Yerkes' recent column on the Pre-K
4 SA program, I say "yes" to effective
pre-kindergarten programs.
Research shows that caring teachers and

UT Medicine San Antonio
Medical Arts & Research Center

the exams are better utilized as one of many
indicators to determine how much a child has
learned and plan the curriculum accordingly.
And families shouldn’t be kept in fear of
the tests. Many parents, for instance, don’t
realize the law allows them to opt their child
out of the STAAR test based on religious or
moral beliefs. The child still has to satisfy
grade-level or graduation requirements.
Gov. Rick Perry during the last
legislative session signed a new law
that rolls back testing requirements,
reducing the number of end-of-course
exams required of Texas students.
The Legislature has listened to parents
and made some necessary changes. But
elected leaders mustn’t stop there.
Already in place as of last summer are
greater flexibility for school districts and
pupils, additional control at the local level
and a decrease in state-mandated tests.
This year, educators are also looking
at a system that asks students to start
thinking early on about a career and pick the
appropriate courses through high school.
Nobody wants Texas students to
fall behind their peers in other states or
countries. But leaders also have to realize that
education is not a cookie-cutter process.

UT Medicine offers the power of academic medicine from our
School of Medicine faculty and the convenience of a private
practice setting at the Medical Arts & Research Center in
San Antonio’s Medical Center.
We accept most major health plans.
For an appointment, call (210) 450-9000.
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involved parents are the greatest factors,
by far, that influence student learning.
Pre-K can help students who have needs
to be school-ready, better than anything else.
Michael J. Brown

TOLL ROADS USEFUL
EDITOR: Regarding the recent editorial

about toll roads: I like toll roads. Not
that I have more money but the fact is,
if it will save me time and grief, I'll be
happy to pay the toll. I take Texas 130
anytime I'm driving north from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Interstate 35 is packed with
18-wheelers in the corridor between San
Antonio and Austin. I'm happy driving
to Seguin and cut up through 130.
My other gripe is the amount of personal
pickups. This is Texas, so the truck is the
vehicle of choice. However, the mega-land
yachts are becoming ridiculous. Road
dimensions have not changed since they
were first designed, yet the trucks have
become bigger. Drivers are not getting
any better. They buy larger and larger
vehicles, yet they drive worse. Driving
through a parking lot holds little joy due to
the size of the trucks and their numbers.
I would love to tax the vehicle based
on size. I have a truck, but it is midsize and
I only drive it when I need to haul stuff.
Rob Lee

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JUNE 2014
a star of Jewish rock. His popular concerts
are family-friendly, and he’s a summer
camp favorite. Downbeat is 6 p.m. The
JCC is at 12500 N.W. Military Highway.

HAPPENING LOCAL

Plan your month with our calendar of
upcoming events in the community.

OUR
GUIDE
TO YOUR
MONTH

HAPPENING KEY

members, friends and providers are all
welcome. St. George is at 6904 West Ave.

HOME COMPOSTING & DRIP
IRRIGATION Master Gardener
Owen Keiser has expertise in
both subjects, which emphasize careful use
of resources. His program runs from 9 to 11
a.m. in the Urban Ecology Center classroom
near the western entrance of Phil Hardberger
Park, 8400 N.W. Military Highway. The
class is free but donations are appreciated; to
reserve a spot, call 207-3280 or 226-8339.

JUNE 28

FITNESS

FITNESS IN THE PARK The
SATURDAYS San Antonio Parks and
Recreation Department and
Phil Hardberger Park will help you work
out and have fun on Saturday mornings.
Try Zumba at 9 a.m. in the courtyard
behind the Urban Ecology Center at
the park’s western entrance, 8400 N.W.
Military Highway. At 10:30 a.m., a class
in Family-Friendly Yoga gathers near
the playground by the park’s eastern
entrance, 13203 Blanco Road. Both are
free, and no registration is required.
NORTH EAST INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT
JUNE 16
Trustees meet at 6:30
p.m., 8961 Tesoro Drive at the
district’s headquarters building.

ART

TALK

OUTDOOR

MUSIC

FOOD

TOWN HALL A community
JUNE 21
meeting in Shavano Park
is scheduled for 10 a.m. at
City Hall, 900 Saddletree Court.
SHAVANO PARK City
Council meets at 6:30 p.m.
June 23 in City Hall, 900
Saddletree Court. A town hall meeting
is 7 p.m. June 24, same location.

JUNE 23
JUNE 24

NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT The board
JUNE 24
meets at 7 p.m. in the board
room, 5900 Evers Road. Meetings are
held the fourth Tuesday of each month.
JCC PRESENTS RICK RECHT
The Barshop Jewish Community
Center’s free summer concert
series features a performance by Rick Recht,

JUNE 24

INDEPENDENCE DAY Most
federal, state and local
government agencies will be
closed in observance of the national holiday.

JULY 4

JULY 8

CASTLE HILLS The City Council
meets at 6 p.m. in City Hall,
209 Lemonwood Drive.

ST. GEORGE EPISCOPAL
CHURCH MENTAL HEALTH
JULY 9
FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP
This gathering takes place the second
Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the
meeting room of the Parish Building (near
the nursery). Patients and their family

Roads less traveled, now more traveled.

MOVIE NIGHTS There’s plenty of
cinematic fun on tap this summer
in Castle Hills with Movie
Nights, starting at dusk on The Commons,
which is on Lemonwood Drive between the
municipal building and the fire station.

JULY 18

ELSEWHERE IN SAN ANTONIO

THEATER CAMPS The
Playhouse is offering one- and
two-week camps that allow
youngsters to learn a variety of skills used
onstage and backstage. There are three
age groups, 5-12, 9-18 and 13-18. The
classes run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MondayFriday, and pre- and post-class care is
available. For specific subjects, dates and
costs, go to http://www.theplayhousesa.
org/?q=shows/2014-summer-camps. The
Playhouse is at 800 W. Ashby Place.

THROUGH
AUG 1

BOTANICAL GARDEN SUMMER
CAMPS Kids who like to dig
in the dirt and are curious
about the natural world might enjoy the
camps being offered by the San Antonio
Botanical Garden. The weeklong sessions
are geared to children as young as 3. The
classes will cater to junior naturalists and

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SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
junior gardeners as well as special-needs
youths. For more on camp dates and
costs, go to http://www.sabot.org/?ndsummer. You can register online, by mail
or in person. The garden is at 555 Funston
Place at North New Braunfels Avenue.
EAST TEXAS ARTISANS In a
new exhibit, “Folklife in the
Piney Woods of Texas,” the
Institute of Texan Cultures, aided by the
National Endowment for the Arts, has
documented traditional art and crafts
from a 33-county area, along with the
people who keep those skills and traditions
alive. The exhibit is open during regular
institute hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.
Sunday. Admission cost ranges from $6
to $8 and is free for ITC members and
those with Alamo Colleges or University
of Texas at San Antonio identification. The
institute, part of the UTSA Hemisfair Park
Campus, is at 801 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd.

THROUGH
AUG 31

MATISSE: LIFE IN COLOR The
San Antonio Museum of Art is
hosting a major exhibition of
works by the 20th century master drawn
from the collection of the Baltimore
Museum of Art. The pieces, covering six
decades of the French artist’s long career,
include paintings, sculpture and works
on paper. Admission will be by tickets
with specific times, available on SAMA’s
website, www.samuseum.org. There will be
a $15 fee on top of the regular admission,
which is $10 for adults, $7 for those 65
and older, $5 for students and military
personnel (with identification), and free
for children under 12. Museum hours
are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, Friday and
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and
Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The museum is at 200 W. Jones Ave.

THROUGH
SEPT 7

DISCOVERY CAMPS The San
JUNE 16
Antonio Children’s Museum,
- AUG 22
305 E. Houston St., offers a
series of summer camps where science, art
and creativity come together. The oneweek camps gear their subjects to 4- to
6-year-olds and 7- to 10-year-olds, with
the younger campers’ sessions running
from 9 a.m. to noon and the older group’s
camp going from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Before- and after-care is available. To
register over the phone, call 212-4453, ext.
1307. For details on the camps and the
cost, and to register online, go to www.
sakids.org/events/Summer_Camps.aspx.
“GODZILLA: THE JAPANESE
ORIGINAL” TPR Cinema
Tuesdays offers the original
version of the monster saga, uncut and
undubbed. It’s been fully restored, and the
subtitles have been completely revised.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Santikos

JUNE 17

Bijou theater, 4522 Fredericksburg Road
in Wonderland of the Americas mall.
Tickets are $10 for Texas Public Radio, $15
for nonmembers. Reserve a seat online at
www.tpr.org/topic/cinema-tuesdays or by
calling 614-8977 by noon the day of the
show. The June 24 feature is “The Wizard
of Oz” and on July 1, it’s “12 Angry Men.”
SONS OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION The San Antonio
Chapter of the national
organization will hold its monthly luncheon
meeting at the Petroleum Club, 8620 N.
New Braunfels Ave., at 11:30 a.m. Lunch
costs $25. Reservations are required and
should be made with Bob Clark, 4020871, or reservations@sarsat.org, by the
Monday prior to the meeting. The chapter
meets on the third Wednesday of the
month (except for July and August).

JUNE 18

CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT
GROUP Meetings take place the
JUNE 18
third Wednesday of the month
at Baptist HealthLink, 188 W. Bitters Road,
from 4 to 6 p.m. One main topic per hour
is covered in the group discussions, which
may be large or small. A syllabus and
more information are available at http://
chronicpainsupportsa.wix.com/cpsgsa.
“TARZAN, THE MUSICAL”
The Woodlawn Theatre will
give the show, based on the
Disney movie, its San Antonio premiere.
Choreography will be by Eric Mota, a San
Antonian who was part of the Broadwaytour production of the play. Shows
are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $23
for adults, $20 for seniors and military
personnel, and $15 for students and
children. To purchase them, go to www.
woodlawntheatre.org or call 267-8388. The
theater is at 1920 Fredericksburg Road.

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At CTRC, we work hard every day to help you and your family find the
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Call (210) 450-5050 to schedule a
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JUNE 20
- JULY 20

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VICTORIAN SILVERWARE The
JUNE 21
dining room at Villa Finale
Museum & Gardens has a
stunning assortment of silver serving and
decorative pieces. Drawing from that,
the museum is offering a close-up look at
specialized Victorian silver dining utensils
in its collection, as well as some pieces from
a private collection. The informal class will
be in the dining room at 10:30 a.m., and
it is free. To reserve a spot, call 223-9800.
Villa Finale is at 401 King William St.

A GOLF TOURNAMENT to
benefit the Heidi Search Center
is at the Canyon Springs
Golf Course, 24405 Wilderness Oak St.
with a 2 p.m. shotgun start, four-person
scramble. The $80 fee includes greens,

JUNE 29

HAPPENING continues on pg. 08

Lessons • Preschool • Parties • Gifts

www.love-to-swim.com

8

JUNE 2014

HAPPENING continues from pg. 07
range, mulligans, prizes and a barbecue
dinner. For more, contract Rob Freehauf,
669-8850, or Dave Sanchez, 385-6807.
CHAIR-ITY FUNDRAISER
Fundraiser Ronald McDonald
House will be raising funds
for its three facilities in San Antonio,
its planned fourth House here and its
two “family rooms” in Laredo with a
gala and auction at Old San Francisco
Steak House. The featured auction items
will be chairs designed by local artists,
celebrities and supporters. The event
runs from 7 to 11 p.m. at the steakhouse,
10223 Sahara Drive. Tickets, $100 each,
are available at www.ronaldmcdonaldsa.org; click on the event icon to
find the ticket-purchase link.

JULY 17

SARR WOMEN’S 5K RUN/
WALK The 35th annual
JULY 19
installment of this San
Antonio Roadrunners event will follow
a route through Alamo Heights; it raises
funds for various charities and is open
to all ages. Registration ends July 16 if
you’re registering online or at one of

the sponsoring running stores; it ends
July 14 (the postmark date) if you’re
mailing in the form. The entry fee is $22
for SARR members and $25 for others
through July 12; it’s $30 July 13-18; and
$35 on race day. The chip-timed run sets
off from the Lincoln Heights H-E-B,
999 E. Basse Road, at 7:30 a.m. July 19.
For more, and to find the registration
form, go to www.saroadrunners.com.

ONGOING
FIGHTING HUNGER
ONGOING TexasMobilePack and Feed
My Starving Children are
seeking volunteers to help pack 4 million
meals for hungry children overseas
during a six-day event Sept. 25-30. The
goal is to line up 20,000 volunteers to
work two-hour shifts at two local sites.
More on the organizations and their goals
can be found at http://texasmobilepack.
org/ and at http://www.fmsc.org/.

SUBMITTING EVENTS: Email all

the details along with your contact
information two months in advance
to tips@salocallowdown.com.

CASTLE HILLS continues from pg. 01

Seeds for win
possibly planted
in last election
by LUCILLE SIMS THOMAS

C

ASTLE HILLS — Two new
members have joined the
City Council — the wife of a
former mayor and a former councilman
— after they ousted incumbents in the
May 10 elections, setting the stage for
a possible vote on VIA bus service.

Observers are now keenly watching
City Hall to see how the victories of
political allies Lesley Wenger and Douglas
A. Gregory could change the balance of
power, including the fate of funds paid to
VIA Metropolitan Transit that some say
would be better spent on infrastructure.
Place 1 Councilman Mike Catalani
was defeated by Wenger, wife of former
Mayor Bob Anderson. Wenger, a retired
small-business owner, received 46 percent

of the votes while Catalani got 40 percent.
Retired Air Force veteran John Kenny
came in third with 13 percent of the vote.
Councilman Tom Davis was ousted
from his Place 5 seat by Gregory, who
previously served on the council from
2003 to 2013. Gregory works as a senior
vice president for Wells Fargo Advisors.
Gregory received 58 percent of the
vote while Davis got 41 percent.
Place 4 Councilman Tim
Howell ran unopposed.
Residents also voted to extend a
¼-cent sales tax subsidy to help repair
and maintain streets, an initiative favored
by 82 percent of those casting ballots.
Gregory and Wenger both support
allowing voters to decide if VIA
remains in Castle Hills by putting
the issue on the November ballot.
“I think we will fashion some
question that people can vote on in
November and they will have a clear
picture,” Gregory said. “In the meantime,
there will be plenty of time for people
to discuss the issue and gather lots of
information. It (VIA) has to be decided
upon by the people, and I’m confident
the council will put it on the fall ballot.”

CASTLE HILLS continues on pg. 09

9

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM

Business
expenses
just got less
expensive.

Former Castle Hills Mayor Bob Anderson said a
vigorous campaign 'against the incumbency' using
emails helped get former Councilman Douglas A.
Gregory (left) and Anderson's spouse Lesley Wenger
(right) elected to City Council May 10. The fate of
using sales taxes to help fund VIA Metropolitan
Transit bus service to Castle Hills could depend
on the council's new makeup. Photos by Rudy B.
Ornelas

CASTLE HILLS continues from pg. 08

Wenger was not available for comment.
As part of his effort to return to the
council, Gregory said he extensively
walked the city and knocked on the
doors of more than 400 homes to
get an in-depth understanding of
the problems facing Castle Hills.
“I realized that there are a lot of things
that have to be done — a lot of things
have to be addressed,” Gregory said.
“Fortunately, they all can be addressed
and we can have a really good start at
changing things for the better and building
on the good things we already have.”
He said the item that is on most
people’s minds is infrastructure — what
to handle first and how to pay for it.
“We have a lot of flooding problems

that have to be looked at and we have
a lot of maintenance problems that
have to be addressed. Those two items
are the critical ones that need to be
addressed first,” Gregory said.
Using the Internet to spread
their message to Castle Hills voters,
Anderson, Wenger and Gregory
organized an email campaign that
helped the two candidates get elected.
“We have an email list that includes
over half of the homes in Castle
Hills. We ran a campaign against the
incumbency,” Anderson said.
According to Anderson, 7,000 to
8,000 emails were sent out in 11 phases
in addition to using regular mail.
Most of the emails focused on
whether the town should keep VIA
buses running on city streets or use
the nearly $500,000 in sales-tax money
paid to VIA to help fix the roadways.
The seeds for the upset May
10 may have been planted during
another election last fall.
During the Nov. 5 election, voters
in a massive turnout handily rejected a
$13 million bond proposal that would
have allowed the city to begin addressing
street and drainage problems.
At least 81 percent of the electorate
voiced disapproval of the proposal during
voting. It was the second time in three years
voters have said no to such an initiative.
Mayor Bruce Smiley-Kaliff at the
time said city officials might have to
explore other funding options.
“We have to explore bonds;
we have to explore tax increases;
we have to explore pay-as-you-go
alternate funding,” the mayor said.
But in the aftermath of the November
election, Anderson said it was time the
council opened their ears to the populace
and hinted that changes could be coming.
“This (bond defeat) is what
happens when you don’t listen to
the people you serve,” he said.

WE HAVE A LOT OF
FLOODING PROBLEMS THAT
HAVE TO BE LOOKED
AT AND WE HAVE A
LOT OF MAINTENANCE
PROBLEMS THAT HAVE
TO BE ADDRESSED.
DOUGLAS A. GREGORY,
CASTLE HILLS COUNCILMAN

10

2

JUNE 2014

LOCAL LOWDOWN
Take a quick look at what’s new in the community from opening and closings to news tidbits.

Open and
Opening Soon
1. EARTH BURGER, 818 N.W. Loop 410

just behind Frost Bank in the Park North
shopping center, offers fast vegetarian
food in what may be Texas’ first drivethru veggie-burger restaurant. It is
scheduled to open in June with plant-based
foods, organic cheese, organic sodas, no
hydrogenated oils and no animal products
on site – except the cheese. Soy milk is used
in the mayonnaise. Hours are 10 a.m. to
10 p.m. Sunday through Friday. For more,
visit the website at EatAtEarthBurger.
com. (See story on page 25)

to the “new-urban village Éilan,” a
spokeswoman said. The café, located
on the promenade above Éilan’s central
plaza, also offers basic grocery staples
as a convenience for residents who
live in Éilan’s 650 luxury apartments.
The shop serves residents, hotel and
spa guests, diners, shoppers and office
workers. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
For more, call 598-2928 or visit www.
eilanhotel.com. (See story on page 26)

6

3

4
1

3. GUIDI ITALIAN LEATHER GOODS
SHOP, 1177 N.W. Military Highway,

Suite C in Castle Hills, specializes in
high-fashion handbags, wallets, scarves
and other designer items. The store will
be the label’s second North American
storefront (and only the fifth stand-alone
store outside of Italy). Hours are 10 a.m.

The City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health
District and the YMCA of Greater San Antonio
have teamed up to

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11

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For
more, call 281-5231. (See story on page 28)

morning of May 20 being inspired to
be responsible and keep their promises
as part of the “Because I Said I Would”
campaign, which focuses on getting
students to make and keep their goals,
commitments and promises. The Castle
Hills Woman’s Club is serving as the school’s
community partner for the project.

4. BASIS SAN ANTONIO NORTH, 318

E. Ramsey Road, is a new charter school
that just broke ground; campus officials
are now registering students. The school
will open in the fall with a projected
enrollment of 500 students, but the goal
is to eventually have 800 students. This
is the second institution in Texas for the
nationally ranked BASIS charter schools;
the first is at 8519 Floyd Curl Drive. The
newest campus will serve grades five
through eight. For more, call the interim
number at 319-5525 or visit http://
basissanantonio.org/. (See story on page 27)

5. THE JOINT … A CHIROPRACTIC
PLACE, 5238 De Zavala Road, Suite 116,

opened this second location May 28 in the
Fiesta Trails shopping center. The Joint
offers “affordable chiropractic services,” as
well as “no appointments and convenient
hours,” according to the company. The
Joint’s first San Antonio location debuted
this year in the Alon Town Centre, 10003
N.W. Military Highway, Suite 2110. Hours
at both locations are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. Saturday. For more information,
visit http://www.thejoint.com/.

6. GET YOUR VAPE ON, 13212 Huebner

Road, provides batteries, mods and
e-cigarette starter kits designed for every
budget. The store also offers a wide range
of e-cigarette accessories and e-juice, with
exclusives to fit every taste. Also coming
soon are Sunday “Vape Church” afternoon
workshops. For more, call 492-2819.

IN OTHER NEWS

High-fashion handbags and more fill Guidi, a Castle
Hills shop featuring the designs created by Italian
artist Piero Guidi. It is only the second Guidi storefront
in the United States. Photos by Collette Orquiz

release. Officials said 15,609 people voted,
with 65.28 percent casting yes ballots,
making it the seventh consecutive bond
issue NISD voters have passed since 1995.
Voters approved a $535 million bond
issue in 2010. Fifty-five percent of NISD’s
latest bond will fund improvements to
current campuses, while the rest will
pay for new schools to manage NISD’s
growing enrollment, now at 101,477.
Enrollment is expected to top 115,000
by 2019. The bond will fund: 409 new
classrooms at six new schools, including five
elementary schools and one high school;
major renovations of libraries, cafeterias
and science laboratories at older schools
and the replacement of entire buildings;
upgrades to infrastructure systems such
as roofing, heating and air conditioning;
safety and security projects, including
elementary security lobbies; updates
to students’ and teachers’ technology,
including “interactive white boards” at
elementary schools; and more school buses.
RESIDENTS ON MAY 10 ELECTED JOE
KRIER to fill an unexpired term on the
District 9 City Council seat with 57
percent of the ballots, defeating four other
contenders. Krier, the former Greater San
Antonio Chamber of Commerce president
and CEO, was appointed to the seat in
November after Councilwoman Elisa

VOTERS IN THE NORTHSIDE INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT on May 10 approved a
$648.34 million bond issue that paves the
way for “much-needed improvements” at
existing schools while continuing to keep
pace with growth, according to a news

STUDENTS AND STAFF at Colonial Hills
Elementary School dressed up in honor
of Children’s Book Week, May 12-16.
Educators said the students enjoyed taking
part in theme days including Hawaiian Day,
Mustache Day, Team Up Day and Book
Character Day. Children’s Book Week,
which celebrated its 95th anniversary,
is the longest-running national literacy
initiative in the country, officials said.

Chan stepped down in an unsuccessful
March Republican primary bid for
state Senate District 25. Krier will hold
the seat until next spring’s citywide
elections. Officials said turnout for the
District 9 special election was low.
IN THE ONLY CONTESTED RACE facing
North East Independent School District
voters May 10, Place 2 incumbent Edd
White won election to a sixth term,
defeating challenger Bob Coster. Running
unopposed were Sandi Wolff, wife of
Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner
Kevin Wolff, for the Place 3 slot, and
Place 7 incumbent Brigitte Perkins.
CAITLYN URY, a 13-year-old seventh-grader
at Rawlinson Middle School, designed
the winning logo to commemorate
the upcoming 20th anniversary of the
Northside Education Foundation. She
received a $500 check from Security Service
Federal Credit Union. The contest had
220 entries. The 20 finalists included eight
elementary, six middle school and six high
school logo designs. From those, a winning
artist from each grade level was named,
plus a grand-prize winner. The three grade
level winners each received a $100 check.
STUDENTS AT JACKSON KELLER
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL spent the

SHAVANO PARK CITY MANAGER BILL
HILL is encouraging residents to take
part in recycling efforts involving paper,
cardboard and aluminum, but to keep
glass out of the bins. Hill wrote in
The Shavano Park Roadrunner, “The
city is generally given a rebate of 50
percent of the total value of the recycle
material. However, the cost of taking
the contaminated recycle to the dump is
then deducted from the amount. Over
the last year, (the city) potentially could
have received $7,281.60 in rebate, but
we only received $2,530.63.” That could
mean, according to Hill, “Some customers
who work hard at recycling because they
want to protect and reuse resources by
recycling often are having the opposite
effect.” Other conclusions could be the city
“is losing out on potential revenue” and
“we should not be placing glass or other
unauthorized items into our recycle bins.”
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12

JUNE 2014

SHAVANO PARK continues from pg. 01

Fate of municipal
tract a factor
in city races
by COLLETTE ORQUIZ

S

HAVANO PARK — Voters
in the wake of the May 10
elections have welcomed two
new aldermen to the City Council
and returned an incumbent, along
with approving two propositions
regarding the use of sales taxes.

Two other incumbents — Charlie
Brame and Dr. Etta Fanning — lost
their bids for re-election.
During the race, six candidates
sought three at-large council positions.
Bob Heintzelman took the lead,
followed by incumbent Vicky Maisel,
and Mary Ann Hisel secured the third
seat. Allan Berrier also lost his race.
They will serve two-year terms.
Voters also said yes to continuing the
Crime Control and Prevention District for

The Shavano Park City Council gathered for a budget workshop May 27 including members who successfully won their bids for office on May 10 — Alderman Bob
Heintzelman (fourth from left), Alderwoman Mary Ann Hisel (center) and incumbent Alderwoman Vicky Maisel (right). Photo by Collette Orquiz

the next five years by approving funding
for the district through sales taxes.
Residents also gave a nod to using
a sales-and-use tax at one-fourth
of 1 percent to provide revenue for
street maintenance and repairs.
Both propositions received
overwhelming support from voters.

HISEL
Hisel, an employment attorney, considers
herself a relative newcomer to the city and
has lived there about a decade. She threw
her hat into the ring over concerns about
the future of a 22-acre municipal tract
behind City Hall; she owns land next to
it and wants to ensure the city develops

the property in line with Shavano Park’s
“unique beauty and rustic peacefulness.”
Suggestions for the tract have
included a park, tennis courts, a
swimming pool or a wilderness trail.
“Supporting sensible proposals for
the tract that are backed by clear citizen
support and which ultimately benefit the

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
entire community without burdening
taxpayers now or in the future seem to
me to be the way to go if development
is the final conclusion,” Hisel said.
She also believes it’s important to
protect the qualities that make Shavano
Park attractive to homeowners and
future homebuyers. The budget is her
number-one issue, and she said the
city is in excellent financial shape.
“The key is to keep our eyes on the
prize and make sure expenditures do
not exceed revenue,” Hisel said.
Another priority is making municipal
government more transparent and bringing
it into the 21st century using technology in a
cost-effective way to benefit the residents and
staff, she said. Ideas include live-streaming
meetings via the Internet, upgrading the city
website, and creating a more informative
and resident-friendly newsletter. She
also wants to archive information on the
website that allows for public searches
of meetings and past newsletters.
“It’s important to seek ways to
continuously do better, which in turn
protects property values and helps
keep a rein on taxes,” Hisel said.
The alderwoman used social networking
as a part of her campaign strategy.
Hisel is a volunteer on the Municipal Tract
Committee, a commissioner on the Planning
& Zoning Commission, and a member of
the P&Z Hike and Bike subcommittee.
HEINTZELMAN
Heintzelman, a longtime resident,
said he had been asked several times
to run for office after volunteering for
many positions over the years.
“I just love where we live and
I want to protect it and I want to
make sure there’s some level-headed
people making decisions on the
council,” Heintzelman said. “That’s
ultimately why I decided to run.”
The alderman said he feels “plugged
in” to the city because his three children
all attend local public schools and his wife
owns a law firm. Heintzelman works in

medical-device sales for Boston Scientific,
specializing in cardiac equipment.
A priority for him is opening
communications with the public and
remaining accessible to residents.
“I’m very interested in hearing what
people have to say. We have to look at what’s
best for Shavano Park as a whole when we
look at different opportunities or challenges
or issues that citizens raise,” Heintzelman said.
Fiscal responsibility is very important
to Heintzelman. While city leaders have
striven to balance the budget, there is
always room for improvement, he said.
Opportunities must be created to
attract more businesses to the city to
replace the loss in sales-tax revenue
from ventures that move away.
He also wants to be involved in the debate
about the proposed municipal tract, and he
feels the community should decide its fate.
“I think the future of Shavano Park
is very bright and I think we have a very
good working council that has the best
interests of the city in mind, so I’m proud
to be a part of it,” Heintzelman said.
MAISEL
Maisel said she is honored to be re-elected
and is ready to serve. Maisel, the president of
Cowboy Cleaners Ltd. and property manager
for Mardon Inc., said she is thankful voters
have asked her to return for a second term.
“It’s a real source of pride that they trust
me to be in this position,” Maisel said.
Her main objectives are to finish
the projects that she started, including
working on the management of the
city’s assets and ensuring all city
employees drive marked vehicles.
She believes it’s important to sell
or get rid of old equipment when
the city buys something new.
Maisel called Shavano Park great
and said it has the “nicest people.”
“It’s a real honor to … represent the
people of Shavano Park and take their
thoughts and their goals and their dreams
and try and implement as many as possible
and follow their directions,” Maisel said.

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ELECTIONS continues from pg. 01

New term gives
councilman
more time to
finish projects
by LUCILLE SIMS THOMAS

E

merging victorious from
the May 10 municipal
election, Joe Krier said he
plans to use his term as the San
Antonio District 9 councilman to
focus on drainage issues, street
repairs, library services, fire and police
protection and enhancing area parks.

He also is pushing for a referendum
on a controversial, multimilliondollar downtown streetcar project.
Krier defeated four other candidates
for the City Council seat and said he is
ready to move ahead quickly on what he

JUNE 2014
contends are key issues for the North Side
district, which includes one of the fastest
growing areas in the city — Stone Oak.
“I am grateful that the voters in District
9 shared my belief that the primary issue
was getting back to supporting basic city
services — and by that I mean adequate
funding for streets and drainage, making
sure we have the best police and fire that
we can afford, taking care of our libraries
and making sure that we are taking care
of and expanding our parks,” Krier said.
Krier, the president of the Greater San
Antonio Chamber of Commerce (now
the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce)
from 1987-2007, was appointed to the
council Nov. 7, with then-District 10
Councilman Carlton Soules and District
2 Councilwoman Ivy Taylor casting the
dissenting votes in an 8-2 decision.

The District 9 seat came open when Elisa
Chan stepped down to run for the Texas
Senate District 25 seat in the Republican
primary, which she lost March 4.
Four opponents squared off against
Krier in the special election to fill the
unexpired, one-year term for District
9: Corey Clark, Weston Martinez,
Bert Cecconi and Donald Oroian.
Krier, who is married to former state
Senator and Bexar County Judge Cyndi
Taylor Krier, won with 57 percent of the
vote in the balloting. He holds the seat
until the term expires in May 2015.
The councilman said he doesn’t think
the city currently spends enough on
streets and drainage. He was constantly
being told by his constituents that
maintaining and improving basic city
services should be a priority, he added.

Joe Krier, who was appointed to the District 9 City Council seat in November, won a special election May 10 to fill the unexpired term. He wants to focus on improving
basic services. File photo

“I AM GRATEFUL THAT THE VOTERS IN DISTRICT 9 SHARED MY BELIEF THAT THE
PRIMARY ISSUE WAS GETTING BACK TO SUPPORTING BASIC CITY SERVICES.
JOE KRIER,
DISTRICT 9 COUNCILMAN

15

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
“I view the election as a
mandate for the issues that I talked
about,” the councilman said.
He also believes residents deserve
to vote on the proposed downtown
streetcar project, which is projected
to cost about $280 million, and said
he intends to keep working to put the
issue before voters. Streetcars have
not existed in San Antonio since the
1930s. Proponents argue they will help
spur downtown growth and attract
tourists; critics say they are impractical,
old-fashioned and too expensive.
When he was first appointed, Krier
said he did not intend to run in the special
election. But a few months after being
on the job, Krier realized that not only
did he really enjoy being a councilman,
he also decided most of the projects he
was starting would require a lot more
than four or five months to finish.
“It was really rewarding to me to be able
to help fix these problems in neighborhoods
and to be at City Hall on the big-picture
issues. And, residents in subdivisions who
asked for my help repeatedly said to me,
‘We’d like a councilman who will be here
to see these projects through,’” Krier said.
The “big-picture issues” at City
Hall include the city’s budget for next

year, the police and fire contracts
and the matter of impact fees, which
involves detailed discussions with
San Antonio Water System.
The city budget process is getting
under way. Krier said he is ready to
jump right in, but he also wants to hear
opinions from District 9 residents.
The council is expected to adopt
the budget on Sept. 11.The city's
2015 fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.
“My first effort will be to get into
the middle of that (budget process) to
learn as much as I can about it and to
argue that we spend next year’s budget
on basic city services,” Krier said.
The councilman has open-door
hours in a session called Java with Joe
9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at his district
field office, 16500 U.S. 281 North at
Thousand Oaks Drive, Suite 290.
Meanwhile, voters in Hollywood Park
decided to reauthorize the town’s ¼-cent
sales tax for street repairs with 94 percent
of the voters giving it their approval.
In addition, incumbent Sudie Sartor
defeated Dan O’Brien for the Place
2 seat while Chris Murphy defeated
Andrew Moon for the Place 4 seat.
Councilman Chris Fails ran
unopposed in his bid to become mayor.

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JUNE 2014

NEISD continues from pg. 01

Hundreds of
motorists break
bus-passing law
by EILEEN PACE

C

oncerns about making
crosswalks and traffic areas
safer for students at North East
Independent School District campuses
took center stage during a recent
brainstorming session with police,
city leaders, educators and parents.
Audience members shared ideas with
District 9 Councilman Joe Krier, NEISD
Superintendent Brian Gottardy and
Police Chief William McManus ranging
from more emphasis on chaperoning
students as they walk to school, to
educating motorists about proper
driving in school zones and around
buses, more enforcement of anti-texting
laws and additional collaboration.
Much of the discussion was prompted
by the death of Tatyana Babineaux, 9,
who was struck and killed by a hit-and-

A recent community meeting on improving pedestrian safety for students at North
East Independent School District campuses highlighted the need for greater
awareness among pupils and drivers. Photo by Aiessa Ammeter

run driver while she was walking to
Larkspur Elementary School in January.
Krier during the meeting said
Tatyana’s death near Braesview Street
and Larkspur Drive made schoolzone safety very personal to him.
“We met with neighborhood
associations and streets people and the
Police Department and came up with a
lot of changes that make that (Larkspur)
school zone safer,” Krier said. “What we

wanted to do tonight is to say to the rest
of District 9 … tell us about your schools,
tell us about your school-safety issues.”
Mike Frisbie, director of the city's
Transportation & Capital Improvements
Department, told residents at the meeting
in the Piper-Bass Community Student
Center the city has begun replacing,
repairing or adding signage and flashing
lights, and in some cases, overhead
flashing beacons to warn drivers to slow

down once they hit a school zone.
However, it’s going to take time
to work through the 1,100 school
zones in San Antonio and the city can
only proceed as the budget allows.
Gottardy said the district has
about 68,000 students, and only 60
percent are eligible to ride the bus.
“So 40 percent of students are being
driven to school by mom or dad or
they’re driving themselves, or ride their
bikes or walk to school,” he said.
Gottardy said the district has
a program to train teachers and
administrators in some schools
to help kids cross the street.
“Our (NEISD) Police Department
offers a variety of pedestrian- and driversafety programs to schools including a
school crossing-guard training program.
(NEISD) police officers are out early in the
morning and late in the afternoon to help
with traffic flow and help students who
are crossing the street,” Gottardy said.
He said the district is particularly
proud of a new program called the
Walking School Bus, which recruits parent
chaperones to walk students to and from
school in the morning and afternoon.
“We encourage parents in the
neighborhood that don’t have

Frisbie said although the city is
enhancing warning systems, safety
does not depend solely on motorists.
“What we see with pedestrians a lot
is that false sense of security,” he said.
"They think that driver sees them and
think they’re going to stop, when a lot
of times (that pedestrian) is not seen.
So they really need to pay attention and
continuously watch where they’re at.”
McManus told the group that
safety in school zones involves
cooperation between police, the
city, educators and the parents.
“One thing we must remember is
that we cannot ticket or arrest the safety
issue away,” McManus said. “When we’re
present, when people see us, they’re
going to slow down and do right. But
there are 1,100 school zones throughout
the city and we can’t be at all of them.”

SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS

Residents called attention to several
locations where school-zone signage has

been damaged or working improperly,
with lights flashing at incorrect times.
Others expressed concern that children
are walking to school while talking on
phones or texting, and wondered if it was
possible to regulate their phone use.
Jill Rudik, a resident of a Coker
Elementary School neighborhood
off Bitters Road, showed the group
signs she created using pictures
instead of words to clarify the notexting phone law in school zones.
“We had noticed last year that too many
people were driving by while talking or
texting on a cellphone,” Rudik said. “The
signage that we have out there is written in
English, so I’m suggesting a sign in universal
language with a visual representation.”
McManus said before City
Council passed an ordinance in 2010
banning texting in school zones, he
recommended prohibiting talking
on handheld cellphones as well.
“It was not well-received. So we kind
of settled for the no texting,” he said.
But the chief said the ordinance
is difficult to enforce.
“The driver is always going to say, ‘I
wasn’t texting, I was looking up a phone
number,’ or ‘I was answering my phone.’”

NEISD continues on pg. 18

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JUNE 2014

NEISD continues from pg. 17
Rudik also suggested a more durable
paint for crosswalks around schools.
“I’ve noticed they paint them at
the beginning of the school year. And
it actually fades in the first couple of
months, so I wondered if there was
some other kind of paint that stays
or some kind of rubberized, more
durable striping system," she said.
Frisbie said the city is is considering
different products that last longer
and offer the best reflectivity.
Rudik also emphasized parent and
child education. She sees parents parking
across the street to avoid long lines in the
school drop-off lanes, and children often
run between cars to get across the street.
“Whenever humans mix with
tons of metal in the same space, it’s a
cause for concern,” Frisbie said. “We
need to encourage pedestrians of all
ages to cross at the right spot.”

SCHOOL-BUS SAFETY

Gottardy said traffic violations
around school buses are also serious.
Students are not supposed
to wait at the curb, he said.
“Students are supposed to wait at least
six feet away from the curb and 10 feet

said. “And we were one of many districts
across the state that piloted this program.”
The fine for illegally passing
a school bus is $1,250.
“There’s no excuse for it,” Krier
said. “I mean, think about that — we’ve
got 13 school districts in this larger
city area. So if it’s 700 times in one
day in one school district, there are
thousands of people violating the law
around school buses in Bexar County.”

SAFETY
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR NEISD CAMPUSES
n Seek volunteers for the
Walking School Bus program
n Improve school zone
signage and traffic lights
n More durable paint for
crosswalks
n Educate motorists not to
pass stopped school buses

CONTINUED COLLABORATION

n Emphasize no texting by
motorists in school zones
n Continued collaboration
between educators, parents,
police and city
SOURCE: Community meeting
Photo by Aiessa Ammeter

in front of where the bus is going to stop,
but that’s hard to get kids to do,” he said.
He said NEISD is part of a state
pilot program using a camera
system that takes video of cars
that illegally pass a school bus.

A gasp rose from the crowd when
he described the number of vehicles
illegally going around a stopped school
bus while loading or unloading children.
“It was 750 times in one day – twice
on the right side of the bus,” Gottardy

The concerned groups must continue
working together, the chief said.
“We can’t arrest it away. We can’t ticket
it away. We can’t awareness it away. It’s
got to be a continued collaboration and a
continued effort among all of us,” McManus
said. “We can’t assume that people are
going to obey the traffic regulations. We
can’t assume kids are going to cross where
they’re supposed to cross. But they’re
kids, so we’ve got to make the effort.”
Now that the 2015 city budget is
under review, Krier asked constituents to
continue to provide input regarding safety.
In the meantime, Krier has asked
parents to talk to their children
about pedestrian awareness just as
they would the dangers of talking to
strangers or using drugs and alcohol.

www.saintgeorgeschool.org
St. George Episcopal School admits students of any race, creed, and national or ethnic origin.

Castle Hills resident and author Chris Bird has written two popular firearms books that deal with concealedcarrying laws and self-defense. His latest, the second edition of 'Thank God I Had A Gun,' details how armed
citizens protected themselves as well as others against those seeking to cause harm. Courtesy photo

by COLLETTE ORQUIZ

C

ASTLE HILLS — Veteran
crime writer Chris Bird
has made a career out of
chronicling the cases of ordinary
people defending themselves
in extraordinary situations, and
in each case the message is the
same: “Thank God I Had A Gun.”
It’s no coincidence that phrase is
also the title of his latest book about
armed citizens and how they protected
themselves against assailants.
“Thank God I Had A Gun” is filled
with true accounts from individuals
who used firearms to defend their
lives and the lives of others.
Now in its second edition, the revised
“Thank God I Had A Gun” expands on
previous accounts for a total of 17 stories.
Bird, a longtime Castle Hills resident,
details each episode with interviews and
photographs, as well as a section in each
chapter to reflect on lessons learned by
those forced to protect themselves.
“As you can read in those stories, if
a lot of those people had not had a gun,
who knows what might have happened

to them? They could be killed or
wounded or beaten up,” said Bird, who
has served in the British Army, worked
as a television and newspaper reporter,
and is still a firearms instructor.
Bird also is the author of “The
Concealed Handgun Manual: How
to Choose, Carry and Shoot a Gun
in Self Defense,” originally published
in 1997 and now in its sixth edition.
As to his second book, he got the
idea for “Thank God” from countless
people telling him they enjoyed the
true accounts he included in the
concealed-handgun manual, which
helps concealed-handgun carriers know
when it is time to draw their weapon.
Bird is a gun enthusiast and believes
in carrying one for protection. A strong
supporter of the Second Amendment,
he hopes his book reveals the positive
uses of firearms so they can help
everyday people defend themselves.
“I’m all in favor of law-abiding citizens
being able to wear guns, keep them (and)
not just when they’re at home,” Bird said.
“But it’s not for everybody. You have to

GUN continues on pg. 20

20

JUNE 2014
“I kind of enjoy getting as much
information as possible and putting it
all together,” Bird said. “I usually go and
try to interview the people concerned.”
Bird said the mainstream media
ignores most of these stories, and added
they are only broadcast if criminal
charges are involved. Criminologists
estimate about 2.5 million people in
the United States use firearms during
confrontations with criminals, but
in the majority of these cases, not a
single shot is fired and frequently the
incident is not reported to police.
Bird said the best situation is when
you don’t have to draw your gun, and
there are usually warning signs.
“In a sense that means that perhaps
you’ve failed to take notice of the
warning signs because there’s usually

GUN continues from pg. 19
think it through, you have to play the
what-if game (and) should anticipate
situations because they happen.”
The true-life incidents in “Thank
God I Had A Gun” range from a woman
protecting her infant child from an
intruder breaking into her mobile
home in Blanchard, Okla., to a Pizza
Hut employee in Indianapolis who
shot an attacker trying to rob him.
These stories take time and patience
to compile. In order to obtain the
information, Bird has to submit openrecords requests and do extensive
research. Sometimes he’s surprised
by the amount of information in the
police reports, and has had a few that
number more than 300 pages.
The first chapter is about Vic Stacy,
a trailer-park resident living just a few
miles north of Brownwood. Gov. Rick
Perry presented Stacy with a high-end
semiautomatic rifle after the latter shot a
man who had killed two neighbors and
their dogs. Bird not only drew from the
files of the Texas Rangers probing the case,
he also examined the autopsy reports of
the three people who were killed including
the gunman, various statements to the
police, crime-scene photos and more.

IT’S NOT FOR EVERYBODY. YOU HAVE TO THINK IT
THROUGH, YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE WHAT-IF GAME
(AND) SHOULD ANTICIPATE SITUATIONS
BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN.

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some sort of warning sign, because if
you shoot somebody, that’s where your
problems really begin,” Bird said.
One of the stories included in the book
indicates that things do not fare well for
one man who tried to do the right thing.
Bird said he thought it was important to
publish the story because defenders do not
always win when they draw their weapon.
Sometimes even people who fire
in self-defense face a grand jury
investigation and civil litigation.
Bird has always been fascinated with
firearms, and has been shooting for years.
He started with pellet guns as a
young boy in his native England, and
became a commissioned officer in the
Royal Military Police of the British
Army. He was stationed in Berlin
and Belgium, where he served as the
company weapon-training officer.
Bird has won several awards
for shooting competitions.
Later he migrated to British Columbia,
Canada, where he worked as a cowboy on
a ranch. Then he changed jobs, becoming
a crime and investigative reporter for
The Vancouver Province newspaper of
Vancouver and the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp. He has also had stints as a salesman,

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
GUN continues from pg. 20
a private investigator and a shotgun guard
for an armored-car company in Australia.
Bird married his wife Anita and
came to Texas, joking that he “had to
marry a Texan to get here…,” then
added, “She married me because I had
an oceangoing boat.” He is referring to a
27-foot sailboat that he built himself.
In the late 1980s, Bird and his wife
sailed from Vancouver to Sydney
and then to San Francisco.
He became a reporter for the San Antonio
Express-News in 1989, covering crime
and law enforcement for several years.
Bird freelances for other publications,
but mostly spends his time teaching
concealed-handgun classes and

working on his new book.
With all of the school shootings in the
last decade, Bird’s next topic will address
how people can deal with so-called active
shooters who terrorize shopping malls and
schools. He stressed that a lot of people go
through life without realizing they could
be in danger or are not paying attention.
While he has not been involved in any
noteworthy incidents of his own, he said the
first rule of self-defense is to remain aware.
“I put my gun on in the morning and
I take it off when I go to bed, and then it’s
easily accessible even at night, ’cause it would
look really bad if having written all about
this stuff I got caught unprepared,” Bird said.
To order copies of his books,
call 308-8191 or visit www.
privateerpublications.com/.

I KIND OF ENJOY GETTING
AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE AND
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. I USUALLY GO AND TRY
TO INTERVIEW THE PEOPLE CONCERNED.
CHRIS BIRD, AUTHOR

85th Anniversary Celebration
Come Celebrate 85 Years of
Continuous Operation in
San Antonio

Earle and Dorothy Cobb founded the Earle Cobb Dance Studio
in 1929. Management was passed on to their daughter, Sandra
Cobb Mabry, and is now under the direction of Dena Mabry,
Granddaughter of Earle and Dorothy Cobb. A True Family
Tradition in San Antonio!

ECDS would like all former students and instructors to email any
photos from their studio days, to be included in a commemorative
book to keep at the studio for all of the young students to enjoy!
You are all an important part of the Legacy! Email photos to Info@
EarleCobbDanceStudio.com

hen temperatures climb
and sunny days grow
long, it’s not just kids who
want a fun summer in the great
outdoors. But don’t worry, no road
trips are required to escape the city
streets for a nature outing — just
check out Phil Hardberger Park.
The Urban Ecology
Center on the
west side of Phil
Hardberger Park
offers several
classes and
activities to make
nature more
accessible to
children and adults.
Photo by Rudy B.
Ornelas

This summer, the North Side park
— a 311-acre spread that was once the
home of the sprawling Voelcker dairy
farm — is offering plenty of programs
for both kids and kids at heart.
From a nature walk with local poet
Mobi Warren to a pooch parade on June
7, the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy,
in conjunction with San Antonio Parks
and Recreation Department, the Alamo

Area Master Naturalists and the Sierra
Club, is hosting events June through July
during weekdays and on Saturdays.
“The kids love it,” said park education
coordinator Susan Campbell. “They
get really engaged. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a
good way to teach kids about ecology
and conservation. It teaches them
about awareness and being outside.”
The park, named after former Mayor
Phil Hardberger, is situated north and south
of Wurzbach Parkway. The east entrance
is at 13203 Blanco Road and the west
entrance is at 8400 N.W. Military Highway.
Several of the events are already full,
such as Growing Up Wild: Night Owls,
where children learn about local owls and
take apart owl pellets — or hardened owl
spit-up — to learn about the birds’ diet.
On the east side of the park, kids
and adults alike can enjoy Weed
Wednesday on June 18 and 25, where
participants learn about native plants
while helping eradicate invasive species.
There’s also Hog Wild on July 5.
During that program, Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department urban biologist
Jessica Alderson talks about feral hogs
and helps kids complete a fun craft.
Another critter-themed event is Wildlife
Wednesday: Fishing Fun on July 30 that
lets kids learn knot tying and what kinds

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23

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM
of fish they can reel in from Texas waters.
There’s no water involved, so parents
don’t have to worry about anyone falling in.
“Our goal is to get kids outside and
into nature,” Campbell said. “They’ll be
taking care of this one day. There’s so
much here—on the west side there’s great
hiking trails. There’s a butterfly garden and
wildflowers right here at your back door.”
Adults might also be interested in a
photography nature walk on June 25 taught
by Donald Ewers, a former University of
the Incarnate Word professor from the art
and communication department. It will be
held on the west side of the park in the Phil
Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center.
Both adults and kids can learn about
composting and drip irrigation from
a Master Gardener on June 28 in the
Urban Ecology Center classroom.
Wendy Thornton, an Alamo Area
Master Naturalist and park volunteer,
became interested in visiting the park after
hearing about the native plants there.
“It’s not like any other park in San
Antonio,” Thornton said. “It’s more
than 300 acres of natural savannah and
native plants—and it’s in the heart of
these (North Side) neighborhoods.”
According to Chuck Saxer, conservancy
vice president, that blend of urban ease and
natural plant life is intentional. He said the

Phil Hardberger Park is nature friendly, including crushed granite trails that allow rainwater to reach the roots
of plants. Other programs call for the removal of invasive species. Photo by Rudy B. Ornelas

nonprofit conservancy is working hard to
make the place attractive to visitors while
respecting the natural flora and fauna.
“The park is nature friendly,” Saxer
said. “For example, on the trails, we have
crushed granite rather than being paved.
It’s a delicate balance and we want to

respect nature. We’re trying to provide
an environment for native animals to
come back and making an effort to get
rid of the invasive species and return
the plant life to a more natural state.”
Future plans include restoring the
Voelcker Homestead, which features a dairy

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barn, an antique windmill and the old stone
Voelcker home, which is now watched
over by a caretaker. While the windmill
and dairy barn have been refurbished, the
group is still working on the home and
hopes to turn it into a living-history farm.
“It’ll be a good opportunity for
children and school groups to see things
they typically don’t see when they’re in
the city,” said Gail Gallegos, the park’s
nature preserve officer. “Vegetables
don’t just come from H-E-B.”
If classes aren’t your thing, you can
always take a hike or go on a biking trail.
There are four dog parks, two each on both
the east and west sides with a separate
park for big dogs and small dogs.
There are also two playgrounds
and a sports field.
For Saxer, the park serves as a
relaxing place to unwind. On the
weekends, he often works as a greeter
welcoming guests to the park.
“I go to the park daily,” Saxer said. “My
favorite thing is the trees and being out
with nature. You can escape without having
to get in your car and drive for hours.”
For more information about the park,
visit http://www.philhardbergerpark.
org/ or call 207-3284.
For more information about
educational events, call 207-3292.

A study funded by the federal government is being conducted to determine how these training
opportunities help people Improve their skills and find better jobs. During the study, eligible applicants will be selected by
lottery to participate in these training opportunities. Not all eligible applicants will be selected to participate in these opportunities.
This document was supported by Grant 90FX0018 from the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services (HHS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS.

24

MONTH 2014

ADVERTORIAL

“The Happy Handyman
is BACK!”
Hands down the least expensive
way to make a change around
the house is paint. It can take a
so –so house and with the right
colors make it the “star” of the
block. So when you are picking
out paint how do you know what
paint to use? If you believe the
label, “it’s lifetime”, “self priming”, etc…but remember , it’s their
label…and they can put on the can whatever they want. That
happened to me a long long time ago when I was much younger.
A paint company came in our lumber yards and wanted me to put
in their paint line. And I asked him how long the warranty on the
paint was. He looked at me as asked “how long do you want it to
be”…”we can put anything on the label.” Well needless to say we
didn’t put in that paint line. For San Antonio, Coronado paint is the
best for the area. Coronado is great for Houston also. Coronado is
made from a formulation that was originally Negley Paint Company.
The chemist made sure that Negley Paint could withstand all the
differences in temperature that we have in San Antonio, along with
the extreme humidity. When Coronado bought Negley they were
smart enough to keep the formula and that’s why we love Coronado
Paint. A customer came in a couple of months ago and said she was
having trouble with her paint on the west side of her home. It was
peeling. She wanted to know what she could do about it. I asked
her when did she paint the house. In 1972! That has been 42 years.
We sold her Peel Stop, to stop the peeling on that side of the house
and then another gallon of Coronado. Peel Stop is a new item for us
and does something that I have never seen a primer do. It will stop
peeling paint. It’s a clear primer and if you have some peeling paint,
just sand off the flakey paint and then prime all over with the Peel
Stop. Peel Stop is water based and low odor. Used by professionals
to glue down peeling paint and extend the life of the paint. It will
glue down the edges of cracked paint. Just remember preparation
is real important when you do decide to paint. If you are painting
outside you need to clean the surface. You can use Jomax. Prime
any bare wood. Then use 2 coats of the best paint you can get. You
always want to make sure you use 2 coats. I prefer to brush and roll
on the paint because it goes on thicker. Last of all use a good caulk
for around the windows and doors. Cheap caulk will crack and dry
out. I like Big Stretch, it stretches, it’s paintable and is water cleanup.
Well that’s about it for painting…you should be a expert now…if
you have any questions call me or Trudy at the store in San Antonio.

NOW TO THE MAILBOX ....
QUESTION: My son is a new driver. And we let him park
his car in the garage. However since he is a new driver, he
is not great at knowing when to stop in the garage and has
hit my workbench a couple of times. Besides that tennis
ball that hangs from the ceiling….is there another way to
gently show him when to put the brakes on.
ANSWER: There is a real simple item called a Parking
Target. Just clean the area where you want to put it and
then stick it down. You can use 1, and when the tire nudges
it he will know to stop.

More parent
volunteers needed
at Vineyard Ranch
by GIANNA RENDON

V

ineyard Ranch Elementary
School will celebrate its
second anniversary in August
as one of the newest campuses in the
North East Independent School District,
with more developments to come.
The school opened in January
2013 at 16818 Huebner Road,
Principal Tammy Van Cleave said.
“The children are very excited and eager
to play on the field,” Van Cleave said.
The school was not ready for students
by its anticipated opening date in August
2012. It was one of two new NEISD
campuses in Stone Oak that faced some
much-publicized construction delays,
forcing students in the attendance zones to
temporarily enroll at other nearby schools.
The other affected school was Las
Lomas Elementary at 20303 Hardy
Oak Blvd. It also opened in January.
The two schools, budgeted at $27
million apiece, are designed to hold a
total of 1,200 students and are part of a
2007 bond issue approved by voters.
Vineyard Ranch, although relatively new,
offers a variety of curriculums such as prekindergarten and a dual-language program.
Van Cleave said Vineyard Ranch’s
dual-language program is growing
every year, and next year thirdgraders will join the program.
In addition to academics, Vineyard
Ranch offers activities such as a chorus,
strings, safety patrol and a robotics club.
“Everything has been going as planned
this past year,” Van Cleave said.
The school also incorporates Stephen
Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective
People” every day in the classroom

TAMMY VAN CLEAVE,
VINEYARD RANCH ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Vineyard Ranch Elementary School, 16818 Huebner
Road, is one of the two newest elementary campuses
in the North East Independent School District (left).
Principal Tammy Van Cleave (above) says technology,
language immersion and teaching effective habits are
helping students prepare for the future. Photos by Joshua
Michael

through the “Leader in Me” program.
“It’s important for (students) because
it teaches them different character
traits from a young age that they’ll use
as they grow up,” the principal said.
Vineyard Ranch is also a Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design, or LEED,
certified school, which means the building
was constructed using green materials.
Technology is also part of the classroom
experience at Vineyard Ranch.
“We are very fortunate and we
know that with all of the technology
that we have here, and just promoting
21st-century skills along with
leadership skills,” Van Cleave said.

Credit Is Not The Only Thing Needed
On Purchasing A New Home!

QUESTION: I have to replace a faucet outside on the
house. My Mom lives with us and she says that it’s hard
on her hands when she has to twist and twist to turn the
faucet off and on. Is there a faucet that is easier to operate?

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ANSWER: How many times did I hear that until I found a
faucet that was a simple quarter turn off or on? We carry
them now and another benefit is that there is no washer to
wear out. It’s a ball cut off. It’s really the kind to use so that
you have no maintenance.

Although teachers are the ones educating
students in the classroom, parents are
also part of the learning community.
“We have a great community with
supportive parents and everyone
really wants to be involved with their
child’s education, and that’s always
a big plus for our staff because they
can work hand in hand with our
parents as well,” Van Cleave said.
One way parents can get involved is
by joining the PTA, which helps organize
various activities for the students such
as Red Ribbon Week to fight drug
use. Other events organizers hope will
become traditions are the bike rodeo
and Teacher Appreciation Week.
The PTA is looking for WATCH
D.O.G.S., or Dads of Great Students,
to volunteer at least one day a year.
The men can be fathers, uncles,
grandfathers or other father figures.
The PTA is also looking for more
parent volunteers, but applicants must
pass a criminal-background check.
For more about the PTA and how to
join, visit vineyardranchpta.org. Parents
can also call the school at 356-7200.
NEISD has another far North Side
school opening in the next academic cycle.
David Lee “Tex” Hill Middle School,
21314 Bulverde Road, is projected to
debut for the 2014-15 school year, said
Jeff Kurth, NEISD director of research
and information technologies.

25

SALOCALLOWDOWN.COM

EAT LOCAL
Learn about the newest neighborhood places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks

State’s first veggie-burger
drive-thru comes to North Side
by EILEEN PACE

M

IKE BEHREND WANTS TO
MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE
TO GET FAST, HEALTHY
VEGETARIAN FOOD that also tastes great.
So he’s opening what he said is the first
drive-thru veggie burger restaurant in Texas.
Earth Burger, scheduled to open the
first week of June at 818 N.W. Loop 410,
will offer plant-based foods, organic cheese,
organic sodas, no hydrogenated oils and no
animal products on site – except the cheese.
“We use soy milk in our mayo,”
Behrend said. It’s his own recipe. So is
the “secret sauce” for the burgers.
Behrend graduated from the St. Phillips
College Culinary Arts Program. He’s been
around restaurants since 1992, when he
and his mother opened The Jailhouse Café.
Mom, Lulu Singleton, sold her Main Avenue
restaurant, Lulu’s, in 2006. Now she spends

her quasi-retirement working with Behrend
and his brother Chris Behrend, who are coowners of Earth Burger, Green Vegetarian
at the Pearl and at the Alon Town Centre,
and the newest Green in Houston.
All their food is kosher, and the
Jewish community in San Antonio has
embraced them, Mike Behrend said.
Earth Burger’s menu is kid-friendly,
and serving families is one reason Behrend
said he wanted a vegetarian drive-thru.
“We live in a fast-food culture. I’ve
got two little kids and I get them in the
car and I don’t want to get them out,”
Behrend said. “There are no good options
for food without getting out of the car.”
Earth Burger has a gluten-free burger
with sunflower seeds, rice, onions and
herbs on Udis buns. Other items include
a Chik-N Sandwich, a tofu fish sandwich,

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Earth Burger is a new drive-thru providing healthy vegetarian fast food, such as the No. 1 Earth Beef (left),
billed as a non-meat patty on a whole wheat bun with a secret sauce, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and
onions. The fast-food joint is one of the first of its kind in Texas to be strictly vegetarian, the owner says. Photo
by Collette Orquiz

and a wrap with tofu, kale salad, hummus
and olives. Kids will like the Chik-N
Tenders basket with agave mustard sauce.
Behrend said 85 percent of Green’s
customers are not vegetarian but come
for the great taste, and he thinks the
same will happen at Earth Burger.
“We’re raising the bar. We don’t preach to
anybody about the benefits of vegetarianism
unless they ask, but we want to offer great

tasting food at a great value,” Behrend said.
Earth Burger, between San Pedro
Avenue and Blanco Road in the Park
North shopping center, is open 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m. Sunday through Friday.

Talk, laugh, sing and eat

with confidence again.

2177 N.W. Military Hwy (former La Scala Restaurant)

No messy pastes
or adhesives.

•

8055 West Ave

On the corner of West & Lockhill Selma

Mon-Sat 7:00am - 3:00pm

210-259-8359

Complimentary
Drink & Chips with Purchase of
A La Carte Deli Sandwich

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No major surgery
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www.sanantoniodenturesolutions.com
Find Us

(210) 499-4746

13341 San Pedro Ave. at Bitters, San Antonio, TX 78216

26

JUNE 2014

EAT LOCAL
Learn about the newest neighborhood places for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks

New cafe at Éilan offers
a view and a market
by OLIVIER J. BOURGUOIN

T

HE MERCATO CAFE MARKET &
DELI AT THE ÉILAN is a place with
a view — and offers plenty more.
With one gourmet food destination
under its roof already, the Éilan Hotel,
Resort & Spa added Mercato just a few
months ago. Since then, the staff has
been tweaking the menu and adding
more items on the retail side.
The café, located on the promenade
above Éilan’s central Mediterraneanthemed plaza, also offers basic grocery
staples as a convenience to residents living
in the development’s 650 apartments,
hotel and spa guests, diners, shoppers and
those working in Éilan’s office spaces.
The cafe is at 17103 La Cantera Parkway.
One of the new items is the “Wall of
Chocolate,” a full-size display of gourmet
and organic chocolate bars from different

countries. On the shelves inside the
roughly 1,000-square-foot cafe, customers
also can find a selection of imported and
domestic gourmet products, including
an assortment of olive oils, balsamic
vinegars, mustards, other condiments
and pastas. Mercato also stocks coldpressed CRAVE juices and other healthy
beverages, and brews Starbucks coffees.
“It’s been a slow but steady
process finding out what items are
requested and then sourcing them,”
said Charles Greub, director of food
and beverage operations for Éilan.
The Mercato serves breakfast —
home-baked pastries, muffins, breakfast
tacos, croissants, including the cheddar
breakfast croissant, and farm-fresh eggs.
Executive Chef Mike Collins
is pulling double duty. His chief

Offering imported pastas (above left), domestic gourmet products, chocolate and sundries, Mercato Cafe Market
& Deli also has a small menu that includes five rotating flavors of gelati, such as the cappuccino (above right).
Photos by Collette Orquiz

responsibility rests with the main
restaurant, Sustenio, but he also oversees
food operations for the Mercato.
One of his popular creations is the
Mercato Muesli Parfait, made with Greek
yogurt, fresh berries and organic granola.
“What we offer is simple, tasty
and healthy,” Collins said.
Other menu items include a soup of the
day, salads, imported cheeses and salamis
and five rotating flavors of Italian gelati.

“The Italian-deli thing has been very
successful,” Greub said. “Convenience
is very important to our residents.”
The cafe is open 6 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

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BUY LOCAL
Learn more about newest purveyors of goods and services in your area

New school touts itself
as BASIS for education
by COLETTE ORQUIZ

N

ATIONALLY RANKED,
TUITION-FREE BASIS CHARTER
SCHOOL is getting ready to
open its second campus in San Antonio
where science, mathematics and fine
arts are at the forefront of education.
BASIS San Antonio North is being built
at 318 E. Ramsey Road and should be ready
for the 2014-15 academic year, starting
in August. Registration is under way.
The existing school is at
8519 Floyd Curl Drive.
“We offer a very rigorous curriculum,
but coupled with getting kids to really
love fine arts and thus loving education,”
said Abigail Hasberry, the school
director at BASIS Charter School in
the South Texas Medical Center.
The first BASIS Charter School was
started in 1998 by Olga and Michael Block,

Best Service

the vice dean at Charles University in
Prague and a Stanford-educated economist
at the University of Arizona, respectively.
Olga Block moved to the United
States from the Czech Republic and
was unimpressed by the standards of
American schools for her daughter,
but liked how they made children
think and question, Hasberry said.
There are 12 BASIS schools in the U.S.,
with four campuses opening in the fall
including the new one on Ramsey, which
is an open-enrollment public charter
school. The new facility will enroll 510
students in grades fifth through eighth the
first year, and eventually extend through
12th grade. The eighth graders will be the
first graduating class, eventually bringing
the total student capacity to 810.
The teachers are experts in their fields,

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and many hold doctorates. Hasberry said
the new school has hired an “amazing staff ”
from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
“(It) gives children the freedom to ask
questions … If they’re taking a class from
a generalist, they just can’t get into that
deep knowledge and that deep kind of
passion for that subject,” Hasberry said.
Students are encouraged to take advantage
of the opportunities BASIS has to prepare
them for college. Pupils on average take 10
Advanced Placement courses; are required
to take Latin and either continue Latin or
choose from French, Mandarin or Spanish;
and take part in the arts and sciences.
“(The) emphasis (is) on having a wellrounded child,” Hasberry said. “So if
you expose them to all those disciplines,

there’s something that’s just going to
catch them and captivate them.”
There are still some open spots for the
school year. To register, go to basisschools.
org. For more information, call 319-5525.
The newest BASIS Charter School at 318 E. Ramsey
Road, which is under construction and should open in
August, will mirror an existing campus at 8519 Floyd
Curl Drive (pictured). Officials said BASIS San Antonio
North will provide a world-class education for fifththrough eighth-grade students the first year. Photo by
Collette Orquiz

BUY LOCAL
Learn more about newest purveyors of goods and services in your area

Guidi storefront makes
debut in Castle Hills
by OLIVIER J. BOURGUOIN

C

ASTLE HILLS — FROM MILAN,
ITALY, TO NEW YORK AND NOW
CASTLE HILLS, the new Guidi
Italian leather goods shop opening here to
offer high-end handbags and more is only
the second store in the United States.
Chef Ezio Di Rosa and wife Maria, both
natives of Italy, have called San Antonio
home for 17 years. They own and operate
Rossini’s restaurant at Northwest Military
Highway and West Avenue. They previously
owned Grissini’s’ restaurant, which survived
several different iterations — the last one
on Broadway near Alamo Heights.
Now the enterprising couple is branching
out with Guidi Italian leather goods,
1177 N.W. Military Highway, Suite C.
Italian artist and designer Piero Guidi
is the creator behind the company, which
in 2010 opened its first U.S. store in New

York City with a Soho storefront. The
Castle Hills shop, which had a planned
late May opening, will be the label’s second
North American storefront (and only the
fifth stand-alone store outside of Italy).
Where did the couple get
the idea to open the store?
“We were on vacation in Lecce, in
southern Italy, three years ago,” Ezio Di
Rosa said. “Maria saw a Guidi handbag,
a purse she really liked and she bought it.
The idea came there, from scratch. I called
the factory in Urbino and I spoke with
Gionata Guidi. He is the son of Piero.”
The negotiations got off to a slow start.
“The first appointment took six
months before we met at the factory
in Urbino, and then we met again in
New York in March of this year. After
that things moved fast,” he said.

IT’S TIME TO BOOK YOUR

Summer Camp

Guidi in Castle Hills provides a selection of luxury
Italian handbags, clutches, scarves and more, with
whimsical patterns, a variety of colors and an array
of styles for every occasion. Photos by Collette Orquiz

The collection features high-quality
products. Before becoming a designer of
leather goods, Piero Guidi began his career
as a sculptor. Then, 60 years ago, Guidi
Designs was born. The company’s tagline
“Angeli Del Nostro Tempo” — angels of our
time (a male and a female angel embracing)
— is incorporated into every product.
Handbags are the flagship of the
line, but also popular are belt buckles,
bomber jackets and briefcases.
“I call it classic yet whimsical. It’s
very distinctive with a style of its own

and you can’t find it anywhere else,”
Maria Di Rosa said. “Each item is
adorned with the angel logo either in
leather or metal. Very high quality.”
Other items include wallets and scarves,
many featuring the Magic Circus design.
Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Monday through Saturday.

LIVE LOCAL
From real estate trends and neighborhood listings
to home improvement, we’ve got you covered.
L U X U R Y

S E N I O R

A P A R T M E N T S

Real Estate LOCAL Trends
ZIP CODE
MEDIAN SOLD PRICE

NEW LISTINGS

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

CLOSED SALES

UNDER CONTRACT

MONTHS SUPPLY OF INVENTORY

78213

78230

78231

78248

78249

APR-13

$95,000

$165,000

$279,900

$304,500

$165,000

APR-14

122,400

211,000

187,000

339,900

167,045

APR-13

43

66

8

35

81

APR-14

27

50

23

37

70

APR-13

82

132

84

79

100

APR-14

105

66

45

96

97

APR-13

24

39

15

25

55

APR-14

23

36

7

27

46

APR-13

29

51

15

34

73

APR-14

33

40

14

22

52

APR-13

4.4

3.9

2.3

3

3.2

APR-14

3.4

3.3

7.1

3

2.2

Wedgwood Senior Apartments is a 55+ Luxury Apartment Community that offers peace of mind in a gated
complex. We are conveniently located in the Castle Hills neighborhood of San Antonio, across from the Park North
Shopping Center, Alamo Draft House Movie Theater and close to the North Star Mall, Quarry Golf Club, great
restaurants and places of worship.
~We offer spacious Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available in a variety of floor plans.
~Housekeeping and meal plan options are available.
We feature an attractive list of apartment and community amenities, as well as several personal care services
that are available for our residents to choose from. We invite you to come relax by our newly renovated swimming
pool, relax in our salon/spa and socialize with other residents in our movie room and new fitness center. For your
convenience, we also offer an onsite restaurant with a delivery option available and a courtesy shuttle to get you
wherever you need to go!

SOURCE: San Antonio Board of Realtors: Texas Market Trends report

Call today for
more Information!

The properties are new listings put on the market from early April 2014. The
properties may no longer be on the market by publication date or prices may have
changed. Local Community News assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Coupon to be presented when dropping off vehicle.
Good only at Choice Paint & Body. 210-655-5581
*Oversized Vehicles Extra. Expires: June 30, 2014

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